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Giant Bomb founder and Gamespot alum Ryan Davis has died. Giant Bomb put out a statement this morning, saying that Davis passed away last week. The site did not divulge the cause of death.

"Many of you know that Ryan was recently married. In the face of this awfulness, many of us will at least always remember him as we last saw him: outrageously, uproariously happy, looking forward to his next adventure with the biggest grin his face could hold," Matthew Rorie wrote.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>gamespotgiant-bombGiant-Bombcastripryan-davisMon, 08 Jul 2013 13:09:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2011/05/18/learn-more-about-tim-schafer-than-you-ever-wanted-to/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/05/18/learn-more-about-tim-schafer-than-you-ever-wanted-to/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/05/18/learn-more-about-tim-schafer-than-you-ever-wanted-to/#comments
Okay, you like Tim Schafer. Sure, who doesn't? But are you ready to really get inside the mastermind of Grim Fandango, Psychonauts and Brutal Legend? And we mean deep inside ... like, "cut him open with a lightsaber and sleep inside him tauntaun style" deep. If so, you'll want to watch "Tim Schafer's History of Videogames Adventure," a charming Gamespot documentary about the developer's life presented as an adventure game of sorts.

Did you know, for instance, that Lucasarts staffers were permitted to select Star Wars concept art to hang on their office walls? The video's full of all sorts of gems like that, and if you can get past how visibly uncomfortable Schafer is with talking about himself for this long, it's well worth watching.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>double-finegamespotlucasartstim-schaferWed, 18 May 2011 14:30:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/31/official-xbox-360-usb-drives-priced-by-gamestop/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/31/official-xbox-360-usb-drives-priced-by-gamestop/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/31/official-xbox-360-usb-drives-priced-by-gamestop/#commentsGameStop has leaked information about those official Xbox 360 USB hard drives we've heard about (first rumored and then officially), and they ain't cheap. According to the confusingly similar GameSpot (who saw the prices temporarily listed on GameStop's website), there will be both 8GB and 16GB drives available, the smaller for $39.99 and the larger for $69.99. According to Major Nelson, we'll see them in stores in May.

Of course, the system update will also allow you to use any USB drive (not just the official Xbox-branded ones), but before you get visions of 1TB of storage plugged into your Xbox, remember that there's a 16GB limit on each of two possible devices, so you can have only 32GB total. Fortunately, an unofficial 16GB flash drive is about half of Microsoft's price over on Newegg. You may have to tweak things a little bit, as the official drives are meant to be "plug and play," but it can't be that complicated. The GameStop listing is down for now, but we'll see these drives officially in just over a month or so anyway.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>16gb8gbdrivesflashflash-drivesgamespotgamestophard-drivesMicrosoftneweggspring-updatespring-update-2010storageusbxbox-360Wed, 31 Mar 2010 18:20:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/04/mask-wearing-fan-suing-ea-over-likeness-in-madden-09/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/04/mask-wearing-fan-suing-ea-over-likeness-in-madden-09/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/04/mask-wearing-fan-suing-ea-over-likeness-in-madden-09/#commentsHe might be known for wearing a bug-eyed dog mask and representing the most hardcore of Cleveland Browns fans, but John "Big Dawg" Thompson isn't down with his likeness being used in EA Sports' Madden NFL 09. No, not just because it misrepresents his jersey's number (98 in real life, 92 in the game) -- it's because EA Sports is using his likeness without ever having actually asked permission.

So John Thompson (not to be confused with that otherThompson) has filed a complaint at the Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas seeking restitution "in excess of $25,000." He's also looking to block EA's ability to sell the game or use "the Big Dawg character" without his expressed permission in the future. We hate to tell you, John, but that game kinda came out last year.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>cleveland-brownseaea-sportsElectronic-Artsfootballgamespotjohn-big-dawg-thompsonjohn-thompsonlawsuitmadden-09madden-nfl-09Sun, 04 Oct 2009 17:30:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2009/08/03/smith-and-tinker-looking-into-homes-for-crimson-skies-shadowrun-i/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/08/03/smith-and-tinker-looking-into-homes-for-crimson-skies-shadowrun-i/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/08/03/smith-and-tinker-looking-into-homes-for-crimson-skies-shadowrun-i/#commentsSmith & Tinker founder Jordan Weisman recently spoke about his plans for the other FASA IPs he licensed from Microsoft. In a recent interview with Gamespot, Weisman teased, "I think Crimson Skies is something we'd love to get some energy around, and we have some devious plans--we'll see if those materialize." Intriguing!

Shadowrun fans, however, shouldn't expect to be nearly as intrigued -- at least not anytime soon. "Shadowrun was recently...not treated well...shall we say, so the thought was let a little time pass before approaching that one again," Weisman admitted.

As for the beloved MechWarrior franchise, the series reboot is currently in development by Piranha Games for PC and Xbox 360. Smith & Tinker plans to farm out development of these old IPs to other studios over time, so if you're a fancy studio head with a clever idea for a Crimson Skies or Shadowrun revival, feel free to give Weisman a call. Like, now.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>businesscrimson-skiesfasagamespotjordan-weismanmechwarriorshadowrunsmith-and-tinkerMon, 03 Aug 2009 13:00:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2009/08/02/gearbox-gives-up-on-heat-says-ip-is-up-for-grabs-kinda/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/08/02/gearbox-gives-up-on-heat-says-ip-is-up-for-grabs-kinda/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/08/02/gearbox-gives-up-on-heat-says-ip-is-up-for-grabs-kinda/#commentsEver since Heat's 1995 cinematic debut, aggression-soaked psychos (like ourselves) have been clamoring for a game adaptation of the crime drama. Gearbox Software prez Randy Pitchford agreed as well, optioning the rights to develop a game back in the mid-oughts. Fast forward to 2009, and GameSpot drops the hammer on him during a Borderlands press tour. "So what is the current status of the Heat game?"

In so many words: Kaput. "In a nutshell, we're nowhere," Pitchford said. And it's not for a lack of trying, as "filmmakers, game makers, and publishing partners" are all still apparently on board. He says, more or less, it's a matter of time -- or lack thereof. Due to time constraints, Pitchford says that his studio won't be keeping the rights to the game adaptation of Heat any longer. "We're not keeping the IP locked down anymore ... if somebody else were in a spot where they could do it, and everybody was comfortable with that, then conceivably that could happen."

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>gamespotgearboxgearbox-softwareheatheat-gameinterviewlicensed-gamesmichael-mannrandy-pitchfordSun, 02 Aug 2009 19:30:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2009/07/23/comic-con-2009-new-details-on-the-behemoths-third-game/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/07/23/comic-con-2009-new-details-on-the-behemoths-third-game/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/07/23/comic-con-2009-new-details-on-the-behemoths-third-game/#comments
We'll give it to you straight: we're still not entirely sure what The Behemoth's next gameis. It's sort of a platformer, it's sort of a multiplayer brawler, but what is it really? We're one step closer to understanding today, as GameSpot got a chance to preview the game this week at the San Diego Comic-Con, and says the game "falls beneath the umbrella of the platformer genre."

Of what they played, only mutliplayer was available and it featured a handful of game types -- coin collection, territories and kill the carrier, in so many words. Players choose a single weapon before each game (from fireballs to portable fans) and employ it liberally to their enemies, all the while avoiding environmental pitfalls (water, radioactive ooze, etc.) and trying to win the game mode. Do yourself a favor and check out the videos embedded after the break for a better idea of what The Behemoth's third game will look like when it's released sometime in 2010.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>gamespotMicrosoftplatformersdcc-2009the-behemoththe-sugarcube-leprechaunxblaXbox-360Thu, 23 Jul 2009 12:14:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2009/04/18/gamespot-floods-us-with-bioshock-2-details-spoilers/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/04/18/gamespot-floods-us-with-bioshock-2-details-spoilers/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/04/18/gamespot-floods-us-with-bioshock-2-details-spoilers/#comments
Before reading on, we beg of you, our dearest readers, to heed this solemn warning. Do you remember that magical feeling that filled you the first time you crossed the aquatic threshold into Bioshock's labyrinthian metropolis, Rapture? That warm, gooey feeling of excitement and wonder? If you read Gamespot's recent all-inclusive, spoiler-filled preview of 2K Marin's highly anticipated follow-up, you'll probably be robbed of that feeling the first time you boot up Bioshock 2. Trust us. We made the sacrifice to pass this news onto you, and we're pretty sure we won't be able to get to sleep tonight.

If you absolutely must know what tantalizing details Gamespot dug up, you can check out their video featurette, which we've posted after the jump. Just don't come crying to us when you learn that the original Bioshock was actually just a dream sequence. (Oops! Sorry!)

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>2k-marinbioshockbioshock-2gamespotMicrosoftpreviewspoilersXbox-360Sat, 18 Apr 2009 16:30:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2009/04/18/pachter-calls-march-wii-console-sales-somewhat-disconcerting/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/04/18/pachter-calls-march-wii-console-sales-somewhat-disconcerting/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/04/18/pachter-calls-march-wii-console-sales-somewhat-disconcerting/#comments
Michael Pachter, analyst for Wedbush Morgan, isn't freaking out, and he wants you to know that you shouldn't be either. He notes, while speaking on the subject of March NPD numbers, that even though the month saw hardware sales numbers drop across the board, that really has more to do with extraordinary sales for all comparable months. Speaking with GameSpot, Pachter said, "It's entirely possible that we were just up against an impossible comparison ... we're looking at a comparison to Grand Theft Auto IV in April, so it's likely that April will be down as well," referring to the release of Super Smash Bros. Brawl in March of 2008 and the subsequent month's GTAIV.

What he does find worrisome, however, is declining Wii software sales after a year of strong console sales, reportedly doubling the system's installed-base. "Given that the installed base of Wii consoles has doubled in the past year, we find it remarkable (and somewhat disconcerting) that Wii software sales were actually down year-over-year in March, dropping by $72 million, or 26 percent." Pachter doesn't see the future as grim though, pointing out that this summer's release of Wii MotionPlus and Wii Sports Resort should put some wind back in Nintendo's sales sails. We'll just have to wait 'til August NPDs are released to find out!

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>DSgamedailygamespotgtaivmichael-pachtermotionplusNintendonpdsuper-smash-bros-brawlWiiwii-sports-resortSat, 18 Apr 2009 15:00:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2009/04/10/maxis-talks-about-wrights-departure-will-talks-stupid-fun-club/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/04/10/maxis-talks-about-wrights-departure-will-talks-stupid-fun-club/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/04/10/maxis-talks-about-wrights-departure-will-talks-stupid-fun-club/#commentsWill Wright's announcement that he was kind of leaving EA this week took the gaming community by surprise. Unsurprisingly though, Wright says the move was planned over the course of the last year with EA. "It's something that we've been in talks with EA for almost a year ... it's kind of a long-term plan and I was just in no hurry to do it," he told GameSpot. Lucy Bradshaw, VP and general manager at EA Maxis, echoed Wright's statements, telling GameDaily it's been a "life-long dream [for Wright to have a] small nucleus think tank."

Funded by EA and venture capitalists, Stupid Fun Club is setting out not to develop just new games but to develop new IP across multiple mediums. Wright calls his vision of the club the "evolution of the entertainment industry," using Marvel and LucasArts as reference points and saying, "If I'm into Star Wars or Lost, I might go to the website or buy the toys .... It's the IP that really matters, that strand of consistency and quality through it." We've certainly heard this tune before, though never from such an acclaimed developer. It remains to be seen just how "stupid fun" Mr. Wright's club actually is, but we'll remain hopeful for now.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>EAea-maxiselectronic-artsgamedailygamespotlucasartslucy-bradshawmarvelmaxisstupid-fun-clubwill-wrightFri, 10 Apr 2009 19:04:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2009/04/01/thq-already-planning-sequels-to-unreleased-games/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/04/01/thq-already-planning-sequels-to-unreleased-games/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/04/01/thq-already-planning-sequels-to-unreleased-games/#commentsTHQ may not be doing so well financially, but the company doesn't want you to think it's down and out. In fact, it wants you to know it's planning for the future -- the distant future even! Announcing projected titles for the fiscal year ending 2012 (that's April 1, 2011 - March 31, 2012, folks) like Darksiders 2 and Red Faction 4, the company clearly hasn't written itself off yet. Hell, it's projecting titles that are still unproven intellectual properties!

Filed away in the middle of a more than a month-old investor's report, GameSpot found a slide revealing four full years of projected THQ releases. Though the slide notes, "Release schedule subject to change," we were shocked enough to learn the company's planning sequels to games that have yet to be released. For THQ's investor's sakes, let's hope Darksiders and Red Faction: Guerrilla turn out to be the cash cows the company apparently anticipates them to be.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>darksidersdarksiders-2gamespotinvestors-reportred-faction-4Red-Faction-Armageddonred-faction-guerrillathqWed, 01 Apr 2009 20:55:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/09/25/get-littlebigplanet-beta-on-the-spot-today/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/09/25/get-littlebigplanet-beta-on-the-spot-today/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/09/25/get-littlebigplanet-beta-on-the-spot-today/#comments
American gamers have been waiting patiently for their chance to play the LittleBigPlanet beta. Well, your chance is coming. Watch GameSpot's On the Spot, starting at 7PM EST today for your chance. There will be even more opportunities to get into the beta starting next week -- so stay tuned!

GameDaily reports Joshua Larson, former VP of Games at CNET Networks and the man often blamed for GameSpot's Gerstmann-gate scandal, has been named VP of Business Development at in-game ad agency Double Fusion. Please let the deliciousness of that flow over you for a brief moment.

Double Fusion's President and CEO announced Larson's hiring along with several others, saying that the new folks share a love of games and a "history of strong results and success in their prior roles." Larson's previous role was to manage business strategy and product direction at GameSpot.com. He's been dubbed the point man in the firing of Jeff Gerstmann and the exodus which followed, leaving GameSpot an editorially tarnished brand. If "success" is determined through money and not reputation, then it's probably being used to describe Larson's small roll in CNET's purchase by CBS for $1.8 billion earlier this year.

The latest episode of Glitch in the System makes it horribly obvious that the "celebrities" attending Gamespot's E3 bash had no idea who was hosting the party. That street probably goes both ways because, straight up, we had to Google almost every single one of the "celebrities" that we saw in the video. Check out the cringe-inducing footage o the red carpet interviews after the break.

PS: Thanks again to the 300+ people who attended -- or used astral projection to attend in spirit -- our Joystiq E3 meet-up. Watching something like this makes us appreciate you all even more.

We talked to Giant Bomb co-founder Ryan Davis about his thoughts on the new site and his departure from Gamespot, and game journalism in general. Some excerpts from our conversation (be sure to click the "Continue" link for the full interview):

On Gerstmann-gate and the state of game journalism"Obviously we still have lots of friends and a ton of history there [at CNET], but we're so focused on the good stuff we're doing now. ... [Gerstmann-gate] certainly helped get our names in people's mouths in certain circles. ... Before [Gerstmann-gate] even happened, I felt like people needed to be more skeptical about what they read, with the massive influx of news-blogs giving little distinction between rumor and fact.

"We're not in the business of reporting news, but as far as the review process goes, we're being very open about a review being that person's perspective. We don't use fancy math to come to our reviews, we just go with what the reviewer feels the game merits. I think when a review has to represent an entire organization's perspective on a game, that's where you can run into trouble. Also, for what it's worth, I've never considered myself a 'game journalist.' I think they exist, but I'm a reviewer and a commentator more than anything."

Man, if peopled freaked out over their 8.8 Twilight Princess score, imagine what's going to happen when the internet catches wind of Metal Gear Solid 4's 0.0. (Note: The above did happen, but it was just a technical glitch. Please don't stick a stun knife in either us or Gamespot.) Check out the highlights for today:

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>dailyrecapgamespotmetal-gear-solid-4Metal-Gear-Solid-4-Guns-of-the-Patriotsmgs4Tue, 17 Jun 2008 23:59:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/29/former-gamespot-reviewer-sheds-light-on-pr-hijinx/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/29/former-gamespot-reviewer-sheds-light-on-pr-hijinx/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/29/former-gamespot-reviewer-sheds-light-on-pr-hijinx/#commentsFiled under: BizIn an interview with former GameSpot reviewer, Alex Navarro, MTV Multiplayer Blog was able to extract a telling tale from the newly appointed community team member at Harmonix regarding the oil-to-water relationship public relations practitioners have with the press.

When tasked to review an unnamed Wii launch title, Navarro was sent a note along with his copy of the game--which he provided as evidence to Steven Totilo.

The note read: If the review is 9.0 or higher you can post immediately. Lower than 9.0, could you please hold until launch day, November 19th? Thanks.

"And that's not the first time I got something like that," Navarro told MTV. Navarro, who left GameSpot after the public and controversial firing of then-reviews editor Jeff Gerstmann, said GameSpot ran their review for this game based on a copy bought in a store and they panned it for what it was.

Gamespot's been stirring the fanboy stew with their graphics comparison features for a few years now, highlighting the visual differences between major consoles. Now in their third round of 360 vs. PS3, Gamespot has a startling revelation: it's really hard to tell them apart.

Though they ultimately rule that the Xbox 360 still slightly wins out in the overall, the difference is negligible enough that they're willing to call it a tie. The 360 rocks the boat in high-res textures and texture mapping, but the PS3 conquers in shadowing and anti-aliasing (whatever all that means).

CBS will pay $1.8 billion in cash to become the proud parent of CNet and its spawn GameSpot in a deal that's expected to close in the third quarter pending shareholder and regulatory approval. The acquisition values the company at $11.50 per share, a 45% premium over CNet's closing stock price on Wednesday, reports the Associated Press. Sheesh! Well, CBS, you've just been robbed "welcome to the internets" ... but as The Washington Post puts it, you've certainly got your work cut out for you not to become known as "CNet Buy Sunk."

We're not sure if at this point, five months after the origin of Gerstmannia, you can still point to people leaving Gamespot as a "trend" per se, or if it's just a case of people moving on. Regardless, we thought it worth bringing to your attention that staffer and host of Gamespot's podcast The Hotspot, Vinny Caravella, is leaving the company.

Again, we have no idea what pastures Caravella is moving on to or what made them seem so much greener. We are, however, continuing to use the above picture. Why? Well, in all honesty, we still think it's funny, and also, it took us a while to make and we don't know if we'll get to use it again. ... Wow, that's a horrifying look into our decision making process isn't it? Sorry about that.

[Update: Gamespot EIC Ricardo Torres has posted a fuller explanation of what exactly caused the bug. In short, Torres says the 9.5 review was not final and was changed to a ten during the regular peer review process. A glitch in Gamespot's servers caused the score to be briefly published before it was ready.]

Don't go running for your pitchforks and torches just yet, though. According to a forum post by Gamespot's Aaron Thomas, the briefly displayed 9.5 was just a pre-production glitch and never an official review score. "We never posted a review with the score of 9.5," Thomas writes. "What you saw was a bug that sometimes causes scores to appear on the site before reviews go live. Sometimes that score is correct, sometimes it isn't. In this case, it wasn't." Nothing to see here, folks. Move it along. Save your indignation for the thugs trying to push Niko around.

We've joked before that, with all of the resignations post Gerstmann-gate, Gamespot's content must be generated by a lonely janitor in the offices, taking a break from picking gum out of the carpet. We're sad to report that his life is about to be even harder: Editor Brad Shoemaker (who has written for the site for eight years) will leave the company this Friday. He hasn't reveled where he's headed, but he's maintaining a personal blog to keep fans up-to-date.

The list of departures from the site is getting long enough that we'll soon have to set it to the tune of the "William Tell Overture" to remember it all. But for right now it's at Jason Ocampo, Ryan Davis, Alex Navarro, Frank Provo and, of course, Jeff Gerstmann himself. Just so we know, is this officially "fiasco" level yet? Are we at Code Fiasco?

He's been teasing it for a while now, but Jeff Gerstmann has revealed where he's rebuilding his house after the Gamespot Quake of '07: GiantBomb.com, a collabo between Jeff G. and fellow former Gamespotters Alex Navarro and Ryan Davis. As you probably could have guessed, it's a site all about knitting, knitting supplies, knitting culture and (of course) knitting humor in the monthly feature "What A Stitch!" (also, video games).

This week, Gerstmann takes you behind the scenes on an exclusive, backstage tour of the new Giant Bomb offices. Who knew a start-up could be this glamorous?

Although Ocampo's leaving supposedly had nothing to do with Gerstmann-gate, the loss ofalmost every"known" person at Gamespot in such a short time is ... awkward. On the plus side, now there's hardly anyone remaining at Gamespot who'd be worth noting if they left. Yay, the epic is almost over and we can march forward (Ocam-ocam-ocam-po).

At this point, when we think of the halls of Gamespot, we can't help but envision one lonely janitor who, taking a break from his full day of sweeping, occasionally tries to put a video game into a console and, on the rare times when he's successful, writes 800 words about it. We know that's not the case, but our grim image of the place has only been further cemented by the news during this week's Hotspot (the site's official podcast) that PC gaming specialist Jason Ocampo was leaving the site for another opportunity.

Ocampo said that he hadn't been considering a move three weeks ago, which would seem to rule any Gerstmann-gate connections out. That said, we'd be willing to bet that having so manyof hisco-workers jump ship didn't make the decision any harder.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>gamespotgerstmanngatejason-ocampojeff-gerstmannWed, 27 Feb 2008 09:30:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/02/25/gdc08-dennis-dyack-is-worried-about-gdc/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/02/25/gdc08-dennis-dyack-is-worried-about-gdc/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/02/25/gdc08-dennis-dyack-is-worried-about-gdc/#commentsDuring the Game Developers Conference, 1UP.com was able to record interviews with developers in the guise of their weekly 1UP Yours podcast, one such episode was with outspoken Silicon Knights boss Dennis Dyack. In the episode on February 21, Dyack outlined his worries for the future of GDC based on the marketing spin put on the, "once sacred," developer gathering.

"I worry about GDC [because] how many talks are you learning something versus when somebody is trying to sell you a product?" Dyack asked the crew made up of editors Garnett Lee, Shane Bettenhausen, Bryan Intihar and former 1UPer Mark MacDonald. "Are we calling this the Game Developers Conference [or] are we calling it the Game Demo Convention?"

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>1UP-yoursarrow-pointing-downcliff-bleszinskicliffybdennis-dyackepic-gamesgamespotgdc08gdc08fanboygears-of-war-2jeff-gertsmannken-levinelawsuitryan-davissilicon-knightstoo-humanunreal-engine-3Mon, 25 Feb 2008 12:15:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/02/05/ryan-davis-talks-gerstmann-gamespot-departure/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/02/05/ryan-davis-talks-gerstmann-gamespot-departure/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/02/05/ryan-davis-talks-gerstmann-gamespot-departure/#commentsFiled under: Culture, HacksIt's fair to say that the controversial firing of Jeff Gerstmann was a contributing factor to Ryan Davis' recent decision to leave Gamespot. But it was far from the only factor.

"Jeff's firing just destroyed me, and I think it shed a light on the other stuff that I had been kind of rolling along with," Davis told Joystiq in an exclusive interview.

For Davis, who had worked for the popular site since 2000, the daily grind of working at such a large site was beginning to take its toll. "It's just that I had been at the job for a long time, and a lot of the stuff that made the job fun for me has dissipated," he said. "Sometimes you don't love the job, but you make your way through it by focusing on the good stuff. Gamespot is also a huge site, and an organization of that magnitude comes with a fair amount of bureaucracy, and everyone ultimately ends up spending a fair amount of time doing stuff other than producing the content."

In a Dec. 1 blog post, Davis spoke of his close relationship with Gerstmann since before he started writing for Gamespot in 2000. "Jeff Gerstmann has been a significant figure in both my personal and professional life for a long, long time," he wrote. "By my recollection, we were fairly fast friends, though I was also kind of pushy about it." The pair played together as part of alternative rap group Suburban All-Stars.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>controversyexodusgamespotgerstmannjeff-gerstmannjournalismquitryan-davisMon, 04 Feb 2008 15:55:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/02/02/new-gamespot-editor-in-chief-wants-to-regain-your-trust/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/02/02/new-gamespot-editor-in-chief-wants-to-regain-your-trust/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/02/02/new-gamespot-editor-in-chief-wants-to-regain-your-trust/#commentsFiled under: CultureWe know that a lot of you harbor resentment towards GameSpot in the wake of the whole Gerstmann-gate affair, and we can't blame you. We've all got hefty, Gerstmann-shaped holes in our hearts, and our faith in the once great review database is now shaken. However, Ricardo Torres, GameSpot's recently appointed Editor in Chief, is determined to regain your trust in the site, regardless of how many stern 7.5s he'll have to hand out in order to do so.

In a recent interview with GameDaily,Torres claims that GameSpot staffers are coming back to work (those who haven't resigned), and that "people are getting back into the swing of things." He also hopes that their strengthened dedication to putting out untainted content will win back their original readers. What do you think, gang? Is it possible to forgive and forget? Or has that ship sailed, been boarded by pirates, then viciously torpedoed by U-Boats?

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>gamedailygamespotgerstmannjeff-gerstmannricardotorrestorresSat, 02 Feb 2008 19:00:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/01/28/ricardo-torres-promoted-to-gamespot-eic/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/01/28/ricardo-torres-promoted-to-gamespot-eic/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/01/28/ricardo-torres-promoted-to-gamespot-eic/#commentsFiled under: Culture, HacksTen-year Gamespot veteran Ricardo Torres has been promoted to editor-in-chief of the site, CNet announced today. "I'm excited to have the opportunity to help further GameSpot's position at the forefront of the industry," Torres said in a statement. "I'm eager to continue the site's tradition of excellence and I'm confident we can move forward into 2008 and set a new industry standard for how video games are covered."

The position has been unfilled since former editor-in-chief Greg Kasavin resigned to work in game development just over a year ago. Torres and Jeff Gerstmann headed served as co-editorial directors afterthat departure, until Gerstmann's controversial firing in December. In an official notice about the firing posted on the site, Torres said he and the rest of the Gamespot team "wish him nothing but good luck in his future endeavors."

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>controversyeditor-in-chiefEICgamespotgerstmannjournalismpromotionricardo-torrestorresMon, 28 Jan 2008 15:15:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/01/22/rumor-gerstmann-to-team-with-gamespot-founder-vince-broady-on-n/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/01/22/rumor-gerstmann-to-team-with-gamespot-founder-vince-broady-on-n/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/01/22/rumor-gerstmann-to-team-with-gamespot-founder-vince-broady-on-n/#commentsFiled under: BusinessIf you haven't perused it yet, 1UP's Sam Kennedy's piece on Gerstmann-gate is really fascinating. Not only do you get a not-quite-insider's view on the whole situation, but there are also some really eye-opening nuggets on the methods GameSpot uses both to track users and to cater to its marketers. If you like the inside baseball side of games journalism, it's a must-read.

There's also an interesting rumor buried within: Kennedy reports that "word on the street" is that ousted Jeff Gerstmann and GameSpot founder Vince Broady would be teaming up to create a new site to "take on GameSpot." We don't know if it's true, but we'd keep an eye on Gerstmann's blog for more info.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>gamespotgerstmann-gategerstmanngatejeff-gerstmannjournalismTue, 22 Jan 2008 10:30:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/01/14/gamespot-staffer-alex-navarro-quits-in-wake-of-gerstmann-gate/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/01/14/gamespot-staffer-alex-navarro-quits-in-wake-of-gerstmann-gate/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/01/14/gamespot-staffer-alex-navarro-quits-in-wake-of-gerstmann-gate/#commentsFiled under: Culture, HacksJoystiq has confirmed with longtime Gamespot staffer Alex Navarro that he will be resigning his position at the CNET gaming site in response to the controversial firing of editorial director Jeff Gerstmann.

"I felt like it was just time for me to go," Navarro told Joystiq in an exclusive interview. " Certainly [the decision to leave] had a lot to do with the whole Jeff [Gerstmann] situation. ... I wouldn't have left if this situation hadn't gone down the way it did. ... Sometimes you just realize a place isn't for you anymore, you know?"

Navarro has been a mainstay on the site since early 2003, writing hundreds of reviews and appearing regularly on video podcast The Hotspot. His last day at the site will be Jan. 24.

Media company CNET Networks, whose various websites including Gamespot, GameFAQs and Metacritic, looks to be in the midst of a takeover. A group of investors, led by Jana Partners LLC and claiming a collective 21.3 percent stake in the company, are currently trying to use their leverage to nominate seven new directors, according to Bloomberg. (Note: This incident is unrelated to the recent Gerstmann-gate fiasco.)

Said former Ask Jeeves Inc. executive Paul Gardi, who stands to be one of those new directors, "With better board oversight, the right team could do great things with this brand ... We see huge opportunity in the strength of CNET's content." The contention is that the media company's shares have underperformed due to mismanagement of their resources.

CNET CEO Neil Ashe said that the company welcomes suggestions from its stockholders but noted Jana's proposed shuffle was "improper" and not possible with the company bylaws. The latter argument prompted Jana to file a lawsuit in Delaware (home of CNET) claiming the bylaws were illegal in the state.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>cnetcnet-networksgamefaqsgamespotjana-partnersmetacriticziffdavisTue, 08 Jan 2008 15:00:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2007/12/19/pachter-thinks-mass-effect-is-coming-to-ps3/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/12/19/pachter-thinks-mass-effect-is-coming-to-ps3/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/12/19/pachter-thinks-mass-effect-is-coming-to-ps3/#comments
Michael Pachter has certainly had his hits and misses, but if his latest hunch turns out to be true, we'll be pretty damn happy. While filming an episode of Bonus Round on Gamespot, Pachter suggested that EA will port Mass Effect to the PS3. Since EA expects $300 million in revenue a year from Bioware and Pandemic, it wasn't looking to only publish games on the 360, he said.

"I wouldn't be surprised if Mass Effect 1 came to PS3, the Wedbush Morgan analyst said. "It has to."

After already selling a million copies in three weeks, Mass Effect is a certifiable hit, and we all know much EA likes to spread its library across as many platforms as possible to maximize revenue. We just hope that if it does happen, it will be as soon as possible, or if we do have to wait awhile, we can get some exclusive bonus content. We just can't get enough of that lesbian alien sex!

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>biowareeagamespotmass-effectpachterWed, 19 Dec 2007 19:00:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2007/12/13/gamedailys-persons-of-the-year-4-greenberg-and-5-gerstmann/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/12/13/gamedailys-persons-of-the-year-4-greenberg-and-5-gerstmann/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/12/13/gamedailys-persons-of-the-year-4-greenberg-and-5-gerstmann/#commentsFiled under: Culture, Microsoft Xbox 360GameDaily is counting down who it believes are 2007's industry "Persons of the Year," and the site started things off with a bang yesterday picking Gamespot's former editorial director Jeff Gerstmann. Today GameDaily did a much softer pick with Xbox Live's Aaron Greenberg. As group product manager for Xbox Live, Greenberg has been the point man in what every console should strive for in its online experience.

Unlike a lot of the Microsoft execs, Greenberg has actually been with the Xbox for the last seven years. As GameDaily points out, the success of Xbox Live probably rests quite strongly in that the Xbox 360 seems to have been designed around the service which Greenberg heads.

GameDaily also has a Reader's Choice award, so check it out if there's someone in the industry who you think should be nominated.

After over a week of trickling news, a flood of anonymous sources and a torrential downpour of speculation, it seems the controversy surrounding former GameSpot editor Jeff Gerstmann's unceremonious firing is finally coming to a cool. This week's GameDaily Media Coverage feature takes a look back on the events and ramifications of Gerstmann-gate, written by Joystiq's own Kyle Orland (who, as you may have noticed, extensively covered the situation for us).

Though the final word is that GameSpot did not bow to advertiser pressure, even if true, a plethora of circumstances gave the illusion of malfeasance, ultimately damaging the website's credibility for those who paid attention to the week's events. The issue does bring up a good question: is the illusion of keeping advertising separate from editorial just as important, if not more so, than its reality?

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>cnetcontroversygamespotgerstmann-gatejeff-gerstmannFri, 07 Dec 2007 15:23:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2007/12/05/gamespot-addresses-gerstmann-gate-concerns-in-depth/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/12/05/gamespot-addresses-gerstmann-gate-concerns-in-depth/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/12/05/gamespot-addresses-gerstmann-gate-concerns-in-depth/#commentsFiled under: Culture, HacksUpdate: Gamespot's Tor Thorsen weighs in with his personal commentary on writing the story: "I know many of you out there are going to see this as the latest in a series of attempts at damage control. Guess what? You're right. It is damage control, because--let's face it--GameSpot has taken a beating over the past week. However, just because it's damage control doesn't mean we're being disingenuous or misleading."

Gerstmann's firing followed " an internal review process" by management.

Eidos did express displeasure with Gerstmann's Kane & Lynch review, though GameSpot is adamant that this displeasure did not cause the review to be edited, the video review to be pulled, or Gerstmann himself to be fired.

On why the text review was edited: "The copy was adjusted several days following its publication so that it better meshed with its score, which remained unchanged." (Is this fair? Read the edits and judge for yourself).

The Kane & Lynch video review was taken down because the "audio was deemed inferior due to a faulty microphone. There were also concerns about the limited amount of footage that was unrepresentative of the game in the review." It was not put back up immediately because the busy holiday release schedule left "insufficient resources to reshoot and re-edit the video review." The version that was reposted recently is identical to the original and was put up "in the spirit of full disclosure."

Eidos' Kane & Lynch ad buy was made weeks before the firing decision or the review were made. The prominent front page "skinning" of the site was automatically removed at midnight on Nov. 29, when the ad buy was previously scheduled to run out.

Tim Tracy's departure was "completely unrelated."

The company is coming up with this information now because of the "widespread misinformation that has spread following Jeff's departure."

While the full Q&A still won't directly address the specific reasons for Gerstmann's departure (citing "accordance with California State Law"), it does sufficiently explain almost all the outstanding issues surrounding the matter and should do a lot to quiet this controversy. Whether or not it actually will depends largely on whether readers can accept these explanations after six days of effective "no comments" left the rumor mill to grind out of control.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>breakingnewsCNETcontroversyeidosgamespotgerstmannjeff-gerstmannjournalismkane-and-lynchreviewsWed, 05 Dec 2007 14:45:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2007/12/05/gerstmann-gate-wednesday-update/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/12/05/gerstmann-gate-wednesday-update/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/12/05/gerstmann-gate-wednesday-update/#commentsFiled under: Culture, HacksEditor's note: This post has been edited to point out the latest updates from around the web on the controversial firing of Gamespot editorial director Jeff Gerstmann (Further note: the post hasn't really been edited -- we just thought that would make a funny intro.)

Gamespot staffers have further addressed the controversy on the site's Hot Spot podcast.

After being taken down on Friday, Gerstmann's Kane & Lynch video review is back up on the Gamespot this morning. The reasons behind this move and the initial removal are still unclear.UPDATE: On the Hot Spot podcast mentioned above,Ryan MacDonald said that the review was taken down not because of pressure from advertisers but because "the quality was not what [they] do."

1UP digs up another potential wrinkle to the story: "Our sources indicated CNET management had been dealing with a series of advertising vs. editorial issues on GameSpot -- Sony Computer Entertainment Americacame down on the site for scoring Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction a 7.5 just a few weeks prior to the Kane & Lynch incident -- and the Eidos Interactive situation was where they finally drew the line.

Kotaku hears rumors that there may be "mass resignations" at Gamespot over the whole incident: "Our credibility is in ruins," says anonymous source.

Also from Kotaku, the misleading "five star" review graphic on the Kane & Lynch site has been removed.

MTV's Stephen Totilo talked to Gerstmann about editorial standards in the game press: "As for the future of game journalism, you asked if it's realistic for readers to expect a church and state separation between editorial and sales. Realistic or not, I think readers should demand that from a publication."

Newsweek's N'gai Croal uses the Gerstmann controversy as a jumping off point to talk about the symbiotic/parasitic relationship between game publishers and the game press: "One would have to be naïve or foolish not to understand that there has always been a mutually beneficial relationship between journalists who cover consumer products or entertainment and the manufacturers or publishers of the goods in question."

The controversy was mentioned briefly during Tuesday's edition of The Kojo Nnamdi Show on Washington D.C.'s NPR affiliate, WAMU (discussion begins around 44:50): "Apparently [there's] no firewall there between editorial and advertising. ... It certainly looks and smells fishy."

Gamespot Associate Editor Kevin VanOrd, on losing a colleague: "It is confusing, upsetting, and hurtful. In the blink of an eye, my mentor no longer sits 50 feet from me. When I need advice and encouragement and shielding, my greatest advocate is no longer there to offer that kind of support."

Sarcastic Gamer isn't feeling too sorry for Gerstmann: "Getting fired was the BEST thing to ever happen to the man. He has become an instant internet celeb, without the taking the sleazy amateur video route, and can basically cash his own ticket anywhere he chooses."

Organizer Drew Watson talks to Audiogame about the in-person protests being planned for the CNET offices this weekend.

After nearly a week of stumbling, bumbling and just falling on their faces, Gamespot made an effort to get in front of the bullet train of negativity hurtling towards the company since last Friday when staffer of 11 years Jeff Gerstmann was let go under mysterious circumstances. Some longtime employees used company podcast The Hotspot to try to dampen rumors that the firing had something to do with pressure from Eidos after Gerstmann's negative review of Kane and Lynch: Dead Men.

"I'd be one of the first people to set my hair on fire and run out the front door ... if that was the case," says executive producer Ryan MacDonald. "If that was the case that it was just that one game, and one company calling and some kind of advertorial pressure." MacDonald goes on to admit that he took down Gerstmann's video review of Kane and Lynch, not because of pressure from advertisers but because "the quality was not what [they] do."

Even as they defended they company, the hosts made it clear that they didn't approve of the events surrounding the firing. "Everybody recognizes that this was handled insanely poorly. Nobody in this company feel like this went down the right way," says host Vincent Caravella.

At the end of the half-hour or so devoted to the issue, we are (unsurprisingly) left without a clear answer as to why Gerstmann was let go. And Caravella makes it clear that we likely shouldn't expect one. "We're not staying quiet because we have to, mostly. We're staying quiet to show this company the respect it deserves. There's legal stuff, but it's more than that."

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>gamespotjeff-gerstmannjeffgerstmannthehotspotWed, 05 Dec 2007 09:20:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2007/12/05/comparison-shows-significant-edits-to-gerstmanns-kane-and-lynch-r/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/12/05/comparison-shows-significant-edits-to-gerstmanns-kane-and-lynch-r/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/12/05/comparison-shows-significant-edits-to-gerstmanns-kane-and-lynch-r/#commentsFiled under: Culture, HacksThe editor's note at the bottom of Jeff Gerstmann's controversialreview of Kane & Lynch: Dead Men notes that "this review has been updated to include differences between the Xbox 360 and PS3 versions and a clarification on the game's multiplayer mode." While this is true, a comparison between the original and edited versions of the review shows that the edits went significantly further than that.

An archived version of the review found in a Google cache of an EBGames page shows that, while the review's overall determination remained the same, significant changes were made to its tone and focus. Nowhere is this more apparent than the very first paragraph, which was changed whole cloth to remove references calling the game "ugly" and the artificial intelligence "clunky." While the new introduction still says the game "squanders much of its potential and just doesn't come together as well as it probably should have," the new version is unquestionably less harsh than the original.

Some edits to the text seem shoehorned in to point out potential positives for the game. Consider a post-edit addition that specifically notes the game "does a good job of moving the action around, and you'll see a variety of different environments ..." and another that suggests, "if you've been waiting patiently for a game to really dive into the whole 'crew-based heist tale' concept, you might be able to look past some of the story flaws."

Then again, there are other additions that specifically point out negatives, such as one that says the multiplayer mode "doesn't translate into a great or long-lasting experience," and another that calls the disappointing multiplayer a "bummer." But there are further edits that circumstantially seem designed specifically to placate Eidos, such as one clause that points out "how well this same sort of stuff worked in the developer's previous squad-based game, Freedom Fighters," and another that asks readers to consider "the somewhat unique nature of its story."

While the edits are interesting in and of themselves, it should be noted that they are not proof of any wrongdoing on either CNET or Eidos' parts. Many questions remain, such as whether or not Gerstmann himself was involved with the edits, whether Eidos specifically requested any of the edits, and whether or not CNET executives intervened in the editing process. Neither Gerstmann, nor CNET or Eidos representatives were immediately available to respond to requests for comment on this matter, but we will let you know if and when they do (A CNET spokesperson made an oblique reference to the edits in a previous public comment).

A full accounting of the differences between the original review and the edited version appears after the break. Read it over and decide for yourself whether the changes were justified and suitably covered by the editor's note that appears at the end.